Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

I'm wondering if you do anything extra to keep or revamp gi's the condition you bought them. I know mine turn a pale white after a while and the stains on the insides of the collar, wrists and waist of pants become more and more, well, like yellowish/brownish stains.

Usually I wash them after class either the same evening or the next morning on medium heat with a detergent for white clothing.

I feel like using a light bleach soon to make them turn white again. Bad idea or not?

I wash mine in cold water with regular detergent and a bit of bleach. My original gi is a cheapie lightweight cotton karate gi and its only just beginning to really show wear after a year of being used 3x a week.

Bleach if diluted as directed is fine; too strong and it eats the cotton. You could also try old fashioned "bluing" (an optical dye) in the washer water. It is good for keeping whites bright by counteracting the yellowing; however, if you already have extensive yellowing it probably is too late. The staining should have been addressed right from the start. :-(

I buy my gi laundry detergent from a neighborhood mercado. We have a very high Hispanic population in our area and I use "Foca" brand on my gi. I was tipped off by a friend who had noted how bright and white socker player's uniforms are and why. I don't recommend bleach at all because it tends to damage the fabric, even if you use it properly.

When I have a new gi that I want to break in and soften, I put in about 1 - 2 cups of white vinegar to the wash cycle. I repeat the agitation cycle several times and let it soak for a few hours.

For regular maintenance, the white vinegar is typically added to the rinse cycle. About 1/2 cup.

One last question and then I swear I'll leave you alone. When you break in a gi with the vinegar on hand; do you wash it in warm or hot water as part of that break in process. Will water temp alter the way the gi comes out in the end with the vinegar added to the mix?

I have one gi that has shrunk a lot with warm water and hot laundry dry. Now I only wash it in cold water and hang dry. I just ordered a new gi and I'm a little hesitant to "break it in" for fear of shrinkage.

One last question and then I swear I'll leave you alone. When you break in a gi with the vinegar on hand; do you wash it in warm or hot water as part of that break in process. Will water temp alter the way the gi comes out in the end with the vinegar added to the mix?

I have one gi that has shrunk a lot with warm water and hot laundry dry. Now I only wash it in cold water and hang dry. I just ordered a new gi and I'm a little hesitant to "break it in" for fear of shrinkage.

~Scott

You're right to be cautious - both higher water temperatures and agitation will shrink a gi (so will drying with heat). Vinegar doesn't shrink clothing at all.

The hotter the water, the more the gi will shrink - especially if you run it on the agitation cycle multiple times.

With cold water, the agitation doesn't shrink the gi to nearly the same extent - though it still may a little bit. I've personally never found this to be a problem since a half inch shrinkage in a gi is not usually an issue for me.

So - for a gi that is slightly too large, I'll wash it cold and break it in with the repeated agitation and vinegar. For a gi that is much too large, I'll wash on the hottest cycle and add a pot of almost boiling water to the load as well. I let it agitate several cycles. Then I rinse on hot and throw it in a hot dryer. Sometimes, I need to do this twice or three times to get the shrinkage I need.

If you have a gi that fits you perfectly - then I would baby it. I would probably only break it in with an overnight cold vinegar soak - no extra agitation. Run it in a normal cycle on cold, rinse in cold, and line dry. It may not be a soft as you'd like but better to start off a little too stiff then a little too small. It'll always get softer on the mat.